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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. last — finally
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. last — final
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com